Every character we print means something. This is the index — one page per kanji, covering what it means, where it comes from, and which garment carries it. If a character isn't on a garment, it isn't in the library.

The characters

• 新生 — Shinsei — rebirth, new life. The name of the Shinsei line; carried on the Essential Hoodie and the embroidered bucket hat.
• 調和 — Chōwa — harmony you make, not harmony you find. The Shinsei Chōwa wide-neck tee.
• 無 — Mu — void, nothingness, without. The Shinsei Void series.
• 龍 — Ryū — dragon. Worn in compound on the Kanji Dragon line.
• 忠 — Chū — loyalty, undivided allegiance. The Shinsei Loyalty trucker hat.

The library grows as the lines do. New drops carrying new characters get their page here first — and a character only gets a page once we have checked it against the garment it is printed on.

Why it matters

Kanji on clothing is everywhere, and most of it is decoration — characters chosen for shape, printed without meaning, sometimes printed wrong. We hold ourselves to a different standard: every character is chosen for what it says, and we show the work. Read the pages, then read the garments — Kanji Dragon and Shinsei.

For the context behind the characters, read how Japanese urban style treats symbols.